These embodiments relate to padeyes or devices used to attach ropes or lines to the decks of ships or boats, and more particularly the devices can also be used to hold a line near the deck of a boat or ship or any other flat surface.
Boats and ships use lines for many purposes. Many times these lines must be run to a certain area on the deck or below the deck for adjusting many devices on the ships or boats. Padeyes were developed as a means to hold a line in a certain position on the deck so that the users would know where to reach to get the line. Alternatively padeyes were used as a guide to run a line from one area on the deck to another area on the deck. The padeyes also help keep the lines from getting tangled or misplaced.
Typical padeyes are manufactured from a ferrous or non-ferrous material and are either a solid piece of material bolted to or through the deck or a u-shaped piece of material that was retained on both ends and bolted to or through the deck.
These traditional padeyes obviously stick up from the deck and boaters and sailors can step on or ram their feet into the padeyes as they are moving around on the deck. This can cause injury and/or discomfort when the crew are rushing on the deck to take care of their responsibilities.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a padeye that does not protrude as far from the deck and that lessens the likelihood to cause potential injury or discomfort to the feet. There is also a need for a device that can be stepped upon without damaging it while still maintaining the functionality of the device.